


All The Time In The World

by societyneedstocrumble



Category: The OA (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Caretaking, F/M, Forgiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Love at First Sight, Redemption, Repression, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-07-18 07:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16113749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/societyneedstocrumble/pseuds/societyneedstocrumble
Summary: She finally knew how to find Homer again. The boy she was in love with, the one who promised her a beautiful future together.Then, death came to claim her once more and just as she was ready to give in, HE came back.The Angel Hunter, the one who seemingly just can’t stay away.What neither of them could have known yet, the following days would change their relationship forever...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's finally here!  
> This is a story I've been developing for almost a year and a half in a different form and finally decided to turn into a proper fic.  
> It's a story close to my heart and I love this universe I created in it.  
> I hope I will be able to finish it, as I am a very slow writer due to my mental health issues.
> 
> !!!NOTE!!!  
> As I publish the 1st chapter, Season 2 is not out yet and if it does come out before I finish, the story most likely will not be influenced by it. Treat it as a forked path!
> 
> This story takes place right after the events of the last scene of Season 1, where Prairie is taken away in an ambulance.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! I will appreciate all feedback I can get!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OA escapes the hospital to go after Homer, whom she believes to have seen in her recent vision. Soon, lost and sick, she experiences another brush with death, but someone from her past comes to rescue her just in time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is simply just a set-up and the further ones will be hopefully, more entertaining. I am much, much better at writing from Hap's POV, but Prairie's was needed for this particular chapter. Please let me know if you'd be interested in continuation of this series!

_**NOW** _

 

She wakes to a soft hum of the engine as the vehicle hits a gentle bump in the road, making it shake softly. The moon is still bright, casting its light on her pale face, flickering through the window in the roof.

Her throat is sore, dry and it feels like sandpaper with every intake of breath, vision so blurry that it takes her few minutes to adjust to the new surroundings. OA realizes that she’s lying in the back of a moving car, but doesn't remember how she got here. Who is driving and why does it feel so... familiar?

The last thing she recalls is lying on the dirt in the forest, looking at the stars above as sleep slowly claimed her. The heavy fever knocked her out and her determination alone was not enough to fight it. She’d been betrayed by her own body, the same body once capable of performing the magical movements with an immaculate precision. There was only one thing on her mind, relentlessly pushing her forward, making her disregard everything, even her own safety.

 _“Homer?”_ she exhales, parting her dry lips and turning to the side, hoping to make out the blurry silhouette in the driver’s seat. A sharp sting of pain reminds her of the splitting headache that’s been accompanying her for what feels like forever.

  _“_ _No, it’s me...”_

 The familiar low, raspy voice rings in her ears.

No, it can’t be. It’s just another dream, like the one back in the hospital. He was gone, he left her and promised to never come back. It’s just a dream… a nightmare. Wake up, wake up…!

  _“You passed out, you have a fever. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”_

 OA lifts her burning eyes in his direction and her heart picks up the pace. Focused on the road, he sits still, almost motionless, hands firmly on the wheel. She can’t see his face, but his voice is soft and calm; making her wonder why it feels almost soothing - like a forgotten favorite song one hears for the first time in ages. It should not feel this way...

She really wants to speak, but the words refuse to come out anymore, the sound stuck deep in her throat where she just can’t reach it. Her pulsating headache makes it harder and harder to stay focused. Finally, rolling her eyes back, consciousness leaves her and she’s consumed by the darkness once again.

 

**_THEN_ **

 

The days in the hospital were bleak and long, hours felt like days, days felt like weeks. That room was just another prison, another small, confining space she had to accept. Between visits from Nancy and Abel and occasional reporters nagging the staff to let them interview her, she’d spend her time staring at the ceiling and thinking about that day.

She didn’t travel, stayed exactly where she was. Crestwood, in the same dimension she tried so desperately to escape. Still here, still away from Homer…

They performed the movements just right. Why didn't it work?

So much happened since then and yet, nothing seemed to be resolved… The shooter was arrested and the kids were safe, but the man who tackled him disappeared without a trace and no one was able to identify him. Steve was sent to Ashville and BBA left the state after being fired from the school. Jesse, Buck and French barely visited anymore, focused on their own personal problems.

It felt like this reality was crumbling before her eyes...

 

*

 

She woke up from a nap one gray afternoon. Still foggy and somewhere between sleep and awake, she blinked few times setting her eyes straight across the room.

That’s when she saw him. At least she thought she did. He flashed behind the small square window in her door, distinct dark hair and glasses. Why did she still see his face everywhere? Why was his image still plaguing her mind even though she tried so hard to forget him? Why couldn't she get him out of her brain?

OA thought of running to the door, but she could not force herself to get up. It was pointless; he was just a hallucination, a sleepy vision that her brain made up to torment her like it always had.

She sighed, closed her eyes and placed one palm on her chest. The wound was healing and didn't really hurt anymore, but she never minded the pain. It reminded her that she was alive. The sleep started to creep its way back and soon, she was gone again.

Then it happened.

An empty road, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees. Black, rainy sky, heavy with dark clouds…

She recognized the place, because she’d been there before. That’s where, after days of wandering aimlessly in her strange trance, she had been picked up by an old lady and driven to St. Louis, where she’d jumped off the bridge in attempt to cross over.

Wisconsin… Stockholm, Wisconsin… Right outside the town...

Then suddenly, the presence.

She didn’t see or hear him. He didn’t have a face or a voice, but she felt him. She felt him standing there, looking at her and though he was invisible, she knew.

The man she loved.

She could feel that love, an overwhelming flood of pure feeling that struck her to the core. An emotion so strong and so raw, nothing she had ever felt could even compare to it.

Is that where he is?

  _“Homer!”_

 OA violently sprung up, sitting up straight in her bed. Tears flooded down her cheeks as she tried to grasp for air. She covered her mouth to muffle the scream that escaped her lips, only to discover that her hand was covered in blood. She knew what she had to do now. 

_He’s still here…_

Washing her face over the sink, she gave the reflection in the mirror a hard stare. Her blue, lately tired eyes were now sharp and focused, even though they were red and irritated.

She ran back into the room and straight to the nightstand. Inside, there was her backpack and some clothes that Nancy had left her, in case she wanted to go out to the garden. OA had not touched the items in months, but she was so grateful to have them now.

She quickly put on a pair of leggings and a gray sweatshirt. As she pulled her now grown-out hair out of it, a brief thought of the wolf hoodie crossed her mind. After lacing her sneakers, she threw on the backpack and approached the door, hand lingering on the knob as she stopped to think.

_They’re gonna worry…_

After a few seconds of contemplation, she went back to her nightstand and grabbed a notebook, ripping out a single page. She scribbled a quick note and placed it on the pillow.

 

**_“Mom and Dad,_ **

**_I_ ** **_know where he is, I have to find him._ **

**_Please don’t look for me, I will come back soon._ **

**_I promise I will._ **

**_Love, OA"_ **

 

The last time she had left a note like this, she did not, in fact, come back. Taken, stolen, robbed of her freedom, she would not see her parents for 7 long years. OA could never really decide if she truly loved Nancy and Abel, but her disappearance had hurt them so much and she knew it…it was painful to think she could cause them pain like that again...

This time, it would be different, though. This time, there was no Angel Hunter, only Homer. This time, she’d come back…with him.

Sprinting out of the room, she made her way down the hallway to the main door and didn’t look back when one of the nurses yelled after her.

  _“Prairie! Where are you going?! Prairie!”_

 Outside, for the first time in months, OA breathed in the fresh, crisp air of the spring day. She always loved the feeling of the wind on her face and in her hair; it was like a taste of freedom, even in the hardest of times. She allowed herself to enjoy the moment for few seconds before running up to the bus station down the street.

With just enough money for a one-way ticket, she had only relaxed when finally rested in the seat, though the ten hour drive felt like an eternity. She finally arrived in the early morning, the sun was just rising on the horizon as she got off.

Stockholm was a small town, so it didn’t take her long to ask everyone she met about Homer. No one had seen him, and she got more and more desperate as the day went by with no progress. She forgot to eat, didn’t rest or drink water. Her mind could only focus on finding Homer. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

It was the same wild determination that had made her walk for days after she had been abandoned at the side of the road. It was fueling her right now, pushing her to the limit, the limit she’d reach sooner than she thought.

She wandered out of the town and into the neighbouring woods. She didn’t know what to do anymore, it felt like she was losing her mind. Maybe it was irrational to just go by herself like that, but she was so sure. Her visions were always unclear, but she trusted them more than she trusted her own intuition or common sense.

It began to rain, harder and harder with every minute. Soon, OA found herself soaking wet. The hours went by so quickly, she completely lost track of time. Night caught her by surprise, but she knew the darkness so well, it was like a visit from an old friend. There was a strange feeling of peace that came with it, and she couldn’t quite understand why.

Lost, hungry, and wet, she propped herself against a tree. The itch in her throat grew and her legs began to shake, making it hard to stand up.

 " _Homer, where are you?”_

 It felt like every step she took cost her more energy, than hours of performing the movements. She was growing weaker with every second. Finally, she stopped at the edge of the forest, near the same empty road she’d come from.

She looked up at the starry sky. There was a full moon now and its light was so bright that she could see everything around her as as clear as day. The tall, still-naked trees looked like monsters, but she wasn’t scared. There was something so... enticing about monsters, the dark was always so dazzling...

OA closed her eyes. Losing the rest of control over her body, she collapsed to the ground and onto the soft carpet of moss.

It felt like she was dying again. _Maybe it’s for the best_ , she thought. Maybe she’ll get to see him now, maybe he’s already waiting there for her...

She had experienced death more times then she could count, but it had never felt like this. The fever was something else, a whole new way to hurt.

The cold though…the cold was familiar.

She remembered the day Papa had taken her to the lake and made her go into the freezing water. It had made her stronger, braver, helped her deal with the pain of her horrible dreams. All thanks to him…

That day, she promised herself to always be brave for his sake. And now? She was weak, felt like she was disappointing him.

_Is this how she goes...?_

 Will she meet Khatun again? Get to see Papa, even if for the last time?

  _“Papa…”_

 Time passed and OA didn’t know if she was alive or dead anymore. Reality blended with the hazy world of feverish dream, and everything went gray and dark and bleak. Her breath became shallow, her throat closed-up.

  _It was over. Finally over..._

 Images, faces of people she used to know flashed before her eyes. Homer, Rachel, Scott, Renata. The Angel Hunter…

  _“Angel Hunter…”_

 In the last moment of semi-consciousness, she looked up and inhaled with a painful sting to her lungs.

He was standing right there, towering above her. Was she dreaming again? She barely registered when he kneeled and picked her up.

  _“I’ve got you, Prairie. You’re gonna be alright, I’ve got you.”_

 Without realizing, OA clung to him instinctively, pressing her face against his chest. His arms were strong and he held her closely and securely. She could smell the familiar scent of his spicy, earthy aftershave. The same scent she would smell every time he was standing all too close to her back upstairs. She could not be making it up, could she? It felt so real...

 " _Angel Hunter...”_

 The last thought echoed in her mind as she finally drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hap finds and tends to sick Prairie, trying to nurse her back to health. Not wanting to lose her again, he finds himself tangled in a lie...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, chapter two, this time from Hap's POV! The story is still being set up, so I hope it's not too boring. Thanks for reading, I appreciate all feedback.

**_NOW_ **

 

He makes another circle around the forest, panicked and terrified. Having followed Prairie ever since she escaped the hospital, Hap lost her once she wandered into the woods.

He can’t quite comprehend the need to be close to her again or why he visited the hospital regularly, to a point where the nurses got suspicious. Why can’t he stay away from her, even after abandoning her in such brutal manner? Hap likes to tell himself that it’s because he has to keep an eye on Prairie, just in case. After all, she could get him in big trouble. _That’s it, nothing more to it._

Letting go of her was probably the second most difficult decision he ever had to make, second only to taking her in the first place. This young, beautiful girl, who put all of her trust in him, only to have it stripped away mere hours later… _Was it jealousy? No, that’s ridiculous_ \- he tries his best to push the thoughts away and focus.

Finally, he sees her - curled up on the ground in a fetal position, at the edge of the woods. Hap breaks and rushes out of the car to her side, kneeling on the wet ground next to her. Prairie was always the strongest person he knows, but in this moment, she seems so small, so fragile, a broken little bird. _God, please let her be alive…_

He puts the back of his hand to her forehead and grabs her wrist with the other, to check the pulse. She’s burning up - _high fever, that’s for sure._ Breathing, but it’s very faint and irregular. Her clothes are soaking wet and so is her hair, now matted and stringy from the rain and her own sweat.

 _"Angel Hunter..._ _”_

Does she… recognize him? Hap realizes she’s looking straight at him, her blue eyes foggy, but still as piercing as ever.

He finally gets to see her up close, no separation by the glass of her door, no fear that someone might call the police at any moment. Briefly, he forgets where he is and finds himself staring at her, basked in the light of the moon. Weak, dirty, but still beautiful.

 _“I’ve got you, Prairie. You’re gonna be alright, I’ve got you.”_ He says softly and gently picks her up in his arms, holding her tightly and closely, almost like a... bride.

The first time Hap held her like that was on the edge of the mine, when she escaped and he thought he had lost her forever. The last time, when he carried her to his car after deciding to cast her away. He allows himself to selfishly indulge in the moment before snapping back into reality.

Prairie presses her face to his chest, her burning skin against his. She clings to him and Hap tries his best not to actually enjoy it. She would never touch him like that, he knows it’s just an action caused by her feverish haze and she’s not aware of it. As he makes his way back to the car, he rests his chin on her head, pulling her tighter, as if he was scared to drop her.

He carefully places Prairie in the backseat, folding her arms against her chest. As he does it, he lets his hands linger on hers for little longer than necessary. It reminds him of every time he touched her, her soft, warm hand seemingly fitting so perfectly in his… _Get yourself together, Hunter, it’s no time or place for this._

She wakes only once and as she calls for Homer, Hap bites his lip feeling a familiar sting of jealousy. The boy is the first person she thinks of and it strangely… hurts. He assures her as calmly as he can, but doesn’t dare to look at her.

 

*

 

Hours pass as he sits in the armchair next to the bed, watching Prairie sleep. The IV hangs on a nail of an ugly painting he took off from the wall above her. The sun is already up and seeping through the window.

Her fever finally broke an hour ago, she doesn’t have chills anymore and her breathing is now steady. He observes as her chest slowly moves up and down and tries to prepare himself for the confrontation. She looks almost peaceful now, but will surely be shocked, confused, perhaps even terrified.

Prairie finally opens her eyes and Hap can feel his face light up like a Christmas tree. She stares at the ceiling, blinking few times.

_“Did I die?”_

_“Were you trying to?”_ he questions, jumping up from the chair. _Could she do it to herself, or was it an accident? What was she doing in the woods anyway, looking for… him?_

As Prairie slowly realizes where she is, she rapidly sits up and scrambles on the bed, pressing herself against the wall behind her and almost ripping the IV out of her arm. She’s like a startled animal, eyes wide, a deer in the headlights.

 _“It’s ok, Prairie, you’re safe.”_ Hap smiles softly, approaching closer.

_“Where… where am I?”_

_“We’re in a motel, just outside Stockholm. You had a fever, you passed out, I took you here to take care of you. Everything’s all right, you will be fine.”_

She looks down, realizing she’s in her tank top. Pulling the sheets to herself, she gives him a questioning look.

_“I had to take your sweatshirt off, it was soaking wet, I’m sorry. Everything in your backpack was wet as well, the clothes are still drying, I have some clean ones for you.”_

Prairie finally steadies her breath and purses her lips, locking her eyes with his in a mixture of anger and fear.

_“Where’s Homer? He’s out, isn’t he?”_

Hap freezes for a second, taken aback by the question. _How does she know?_

In this moment, he realizes he’s gonna have to lie to her again. _For what_ , he wonders. To keep her here with him? To turn her against the boy, break them up once in for all? _No, she can’t know the truth, not yet, he can’t risk it right now._

He shuts his eyes and sucks his teeth in. The story shapes in his mind instantly and now he’s ready to tell her the biggest lie yet. _Oh God, this will be horrible..._

_“He… he escaped.”_

Prairie’s eyes widen, shock painted on her face.

_"Escaped? How? You’d… you’d not let that happen!”_

_“Of course not”_ Hap decides to put on a stern demeanor, something to mask the nervousness that overcomes him on the inside. If he’s going to make her believe what he’s about to say, he’ll have to appear cold.

 _“It happened after your little stunt in my bedroom. When you were giving me trouble outside, he broke the window and ran.”_ He snarks: _“And you know what he said when I tried to go after him? That he’s finally going to find his son and that’s all that matters.”_

 _“You’re lying!”_ she shouts.

 _“He didn’t even mention you”_ Hap tries to smirk, put on that sarcastic smile he’d unwillingly find himself adapting every time they talked about Homer.

_“You were never important to him, Prairie, it’s time to let go. I promise you, he won’t find me, he won’t care to find you either, he’s with his real family now.”_

_“No! He loves me, he’s coming back!”_ tears stream down her face.

Before Hap can say anything else, she passes out again. He sighs and gently covers her with a blanket, after unplugging the IV from her forearm. _Fuck. It was a necessary lie, but it didn’t hurt any less._

Sitting back in the chair, he tries to make himself comfortable realizing how tired he is himself. He hasn’t slept at all in the past two days, too busy chasing after Prairie. Not taking his sleeping pills could make him last for days and he needs to stay conscious when she finally wakes up again. He doesn’t know what she’s gonna do, she might run, she might try to fight. Eventually, he gives in and slowly dozes off.

_She can’t know what really happened. She can’t.._

 

**_THEN_ **

 

He stabbed Prairie with a sedative and let go as she slid to the floor. Her skinny, slender body hit the ground like a ragdoll, spreading in the narrow hallway.

Hap had just witnessed another miracle, Prairie and Homer healed Evelyn right in front of his very own eyes. The power of the movements was real, another breakthrough in the study.

He looked at Prairie, now lifeless and numb and despite his initial, natural instinct to tend to her, he had to deal with Homer first.

Unlocking the door, he barged into the bedroom. Evelyn and Stan were dead, bleeding out on his bed, but he didn't have time to think about it. Homer was standing there, shocked, angry, trying to catch his breath.

_"OA…! You fucker!”_

He suddenly charged at Hap and pushed him against the door full force. The boy was still strong, a wave of pain flooded over Hap when his back hit the wood. He knew he had to do something, or Homer will escape with _her_. He could not let that happen, he could not let him take her...

Hap wasn’t weak himself, the rigorous exercise every night before bed was supposed to keep him fit and strong. He knew he had a chance to overpower Homer, if he could only get an upper hand.

They struggled a bit and eventually, Homer pushed him aside and jumped to the door.

Hap looked around in panic, frantically trying to think of something, when his eyes eventually found a bronze statue of a Star of Life resting on a bookshelf. He grasped tightly around the serpent and jumping across the bed, swung it at Homer’s head.

The boy pressed his head against the door and fell, just like Prairie did moments ago, blood streaming down his neck. Hap realized that he might have hit Homer too hard, kneeling down next to him, he put his fingers to Homer’s neck.

He was still alive. _Shit, he couldn’t lose the subject, not now when he knew the power of the movements._

Homer grunted in pain, unsuccessfully trying to prop himself up from the floor.

 _“Coach?”_ he mumbled, _“My head really hurts.”_

Hap straightened his back and pushed his glasses up. _He hit him too hard._

_“Did we win?”_

_“Easy Homer, there was an accident. I will patch you up.”_ Hap got up and threw Homer over his shoulder, opening the door. He bypassed Prairie and carried the boy down to the lab, he had no choice but to stitch up his wound, knowing he didn’t have that much time before Prairie wakes up.

After sanitizing and stitching the wound, Hap laid him down on the cot back in his cage as Homer mumbled about _“getting that ring”_ and the others yelled and banged on the glass. His skull wasn’t cracked, he’d survive. At that moment, Hap already knew what to do.

_Prairie had to go._

Climbing up the stairs, three steps at a time, he rushed to the hall. She was still sleeping, breathing steadily.

Hap felt anger - at Homer, at Prairie, maybe little at himself. It was clear to to him that she chose Homer and nothing could stand between them. The boy cheated on her, treated her without dignity, insulted and belittled when she first came and she forgave him. Hap had shown her Homer’s true nature and she still forgave him. The boy didn’t deserve that forgiveness, Hap would never do these things to her. _Never._

He made the decision.

Prairie was nothing but a distraction - from the work, from what was important. She brought chaos to his organized life, changed everything, rearranged his whole existence and made him question everything. It was so much easier before she came, he couldn’t think straight around her, hell knows why. Her smile, her soft voice, the golden hair that would shine in the sunlight while she cooked… nothing but a damn distraction.

Hap didn’t need her, he already knew how the movements work. After all, only two people were required to resurrect the dead and he thought he’d figure it out later, maybe get new subjects and teach them the movements. He found himself unable to think coherently at that moment. Fueled by rage, getting rid of Prairie was the only thing on his mind. _Distraction, nothing but a distraction..._

He decided to drop Prairie off somewhere isolated, but still allowing someone to find her by chance. He didn’t want her to die… not that he cared, of course. Then, he’d come back and think what to do with Homer, perhaps the boy was not yet lost.

Carrying Prairie’s inert body in his arms, Hap was desperate to fight off the invasive emotions. Kept repeating himself: _She’s just a subject,_ di _sposable, replaceable. All she did was defy me and give me trouble. I don’t need her, I don’t need her, I don’t need her._

He laid Prairie in the backseat, moving her as delicately as he could despite his anger. He injected her with some more sedatives to ensure she wouldn’t wake up before they reach their destination, it would be a really long drive. As far from the lab as possible.

He sat behind the wheel and closed his eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath.

_This is it._

Hap gave her the final glace ; she was dirty and sweaty, but strangely, still radiant as ever. Despite seven years of being locked up in a cage, fed rabbit food, killed over and over…

How did she do it, how could she be so strong? What kept her sane, determined, brave? She was so incredible in every way, but her strength was something Hap especially admired. As desperately as he tried to establish their power dynamic - captor / captive, she was never a less than. He deluded himself thinking of her as a partner, an accomplice and he thought that maybe if he believed it enough, he’d wish it to existence.

Prairie intimidated him when she’d stand up for herself and Hap gave in every time like a damn fool… He remembered how she silently demanded he’d go outside and get her the herbs. Even though she couldn’t see back then, her stare pierced right through him.

She had that gift, never needed to actually tell him what to do ; they had this strange connection, communicating without words, it was always like that, ever since their meeting in New York.

Fuck, he’d give her anything she asked for, just to make her happy. Except for one thing ; He could not let her or the others go, not back then. But now… he would finally set her free, leaving her only with her trauma. _Maybe it’s for the best..._

He opened his eyes and looked blankly into the distance, still slightly trembling. He knew he couldn’t stall anymore...

Starting the engine, his hand shook as he twisted the key and pushed the gas pedal.

It was time..

The hardest thing Hap could imagine and something he could never predict doing.

He didn’t want to let her go, but he _needed_ to.

God, he needed to…

And now, it was about to happen.


End file.
